Claiborne out to prove he can handle Manning, new scheme

IRVING – Dallas Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne is doing everything he can to get back in shape after a knee injury forced him to sit out the preseason.

He’s taking snaps with the scout team on top of his regular reps with the first-team defense. He’s running sprints after practice. He’s staying close to the strength and conditioning staff.

“I feel like my mind is right,” Claiborne said. “I feel like my mind is ready. I’ve just got to get my body caught up with my mind.”

Claiborne’s sense of urgency is understandable. The opener against the New York Giants is just days away, and Claiborne knows what awaits him after Eli Manning completed 7-of-9 against him last season for 53 yards, according to ProFootballFocus.com.

“I knew they were going to come after me,” he said of what he went through facing the Giants as a rookie. “Regardless of whether I had double coverage, triple coverage, they were coming at me. But last year I learned a lot.”

While that may be true, new challenges await the sixth overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.
Selected by Dallas in part because he excelled in the man coverage favored by defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, Claiborne is adjusting to the Tampa Cover 2 zone scheme favored by Monte Kiffin, who became coordinator after the club fired Ryan in January.

In Kiffin’s 4-3 alignment, corners must be physical and willing to come up and stop the run. Claiborne packed on more than 5 pounds of muscle to prepare for the part, but some still question whether he’s a good fit for the scheme.

As the first defender selected in draft, Claiborne underwhelmed last year after injuries and a rehab stint from wrist surgery left over from his LSU days forced him to miss all of the offseason and much of training camp. He also missed one game last season because of a concussion.

“Durability is one of the concerns,” said ESPN’s Darren Woodson, a former Pro Bowl safety for the Cowboys and the franchise’s career tackles leader.

“You know athletically what this kid can do. He is one of those guys that is so gifted. You can always determine if it’s a great corner or an average corner when the ball is in the air. If the ball is in the air and there is fear in his eyes, that’s an average corner. Claiborne is not afraid when the ball is in the air. He will make a play on it. He doesn’t care at all if he has to take a risk and go up and get it.

“I see that athletic side of him. I just need to see more of the toughness side of him, especially in this Cover 2 scheme, when it’s the corners and the linebackers who have to come up and make tackles.”

Claiborne believes he has what it takes to thrive under Kiffin.

“It doesn’t change for me,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’m still playing corner. I’ve still got to go out there and stop receivers. They put us up in run support a little more. I feel we have the guys who can come down and make those plays when we have to.”

Coach Jason Garrett agreed. He believes Claiborne and the other starting corner, Brandon Carr, are well equipped to shine playing zone.

“We drafted (Claiborne) and signed (Carr as a free agent in 2012) because we think those guys are good players and would be good in really any scheme we ask them to play,” Garrett said.

Regardless of what Woodson or anybody else thinks, Claiborne feels good about himself and his team’s chances.

“I know how hard this team has worked,” he said. “I know all teams say that. But I really feel something special about this team.”